An Act of Kindness
by ConfusedColumbia26220
Summary: AU: Regina is an actress who decides to befriend the woman who saved her son's life. But what happens when Regina starts to feel more than friendship for Emma Swan?
1. Chapter 1

"Regina! You made it."

"Yeah, I did. Sorry I'm late." Regina shrugged off her faux fur coat, draping it over her arm. "Got stuck in traffic." She pulled the large sunglasses she wore off her face. "And, you know, fans. Can't go anywhere without getting recognized."

Regina was greeted by her Personal Assistant, a young girl who managed to land the job as part of an artistic internship who dreamed of following in Regina's footsteps. "Let me take that for you." She took the coat, the sunglasses, and other personal affects that weren't needed for the day of shooting. "I'll put them in your trailer, yeah? Makeup is ready for you."

"Thank you, Ruby." Regina made her way over to where the makeup artists were waiting and plopped into the large black chair in front of the lighted mirror. "Hello Jefferson, Kathryn."

Jefferson immediately swept Regina's hair back into a ponytail so that it was out of her face. "How's it going, gorgeous?"

Despite of Jefferson's preference in men, the compliment still made Regina blush. "I'm doing well. Had a long night last night, hope you guys can work your magic and make the bags under my eyes go away."

Kathryn peered closer at Regina's reflection, looking at the eyes specifically. "They're not too bad." She smiled as she reached for a cream that would help. "So I hear it was young Henry's birthday yesterday."

Regina nodded. "It was. He's growing up so fast, ten already. Still, I wanted him to have the perfect party. His whole class came."

"It is truly amazing how you're keeping him in public school," Jefferson commented.

"I just want him to have the most normal childhood possible, as normal as one can have with a famous mother."

"I don't know how you do it," Kathryn stated as she smoothed the cream onto Regina's face. "The fame, the divorce, sole custody. It's hard enough being famous, single, and a parent, let alone all three at once."

"That's the beauty of the job," Regina replied. "For a few hours of the day I get to forget all about that and become an entirely different person. That's how I get by. For a few hours I get to forget that I'm Regina Mills, A-List actress the whole world recognizes. I get to be Sarah Gavin, Trina Decker, Eva Zambrano…"

"The Evil Queen of every fairytale," Jefferson added.

Regina chuckled. "Yes, and the Evil Queen of every fairytale. Henry still can't get over the fact that I convinced the writers to name her son after him."

"That was pretty amazing," Kathryn agreed. "Personally, I think Henry is a much better name for the Evil Queen's son than Abraham. That just makes me think of the President."

Mary Margaret Blanchard had decided to take her students on a field trip to the abandoned mine as it was an integral part of Storybrooke's history and fit right in with the lessons she was teaching. She'd warned the students not to get too close and to be careful, but of course the one student she couldn't afford anything happening to was the one who hadn't listened and ended up getting himself stuck. Heart thudding uncomfortably in her throat, she dug out her cell phone and dialed a number.

Jefferson and Kathryn were just putting the finishing touches on Regina's makeup when Ruby dashed over, looking like she'd just run a marathon.

"Regina." Ruby held her cell phone out to her.

Regina's eyebrows furrowed together. "I told you –"

"Not to let anyone interrupt unless it was important. This is. It's about Henry."

Regina snatched the phone out of her hand, pushing aside her professionalism in favor of maternal worry. "Yes?"

"Ms. Mills! I am so _so _sorry!"

"Ms. Blanchard, calm down. You sound like you're about to hyperventilate," Regina kept her own voice calm. The deep breaths the teacher was taking were audible as she tried to do as Regina said.

"I – I took the class to the abandoned mines and and and I…I warned everyone not to get too close, bu-bu-but…"

"Henry didn't listen," Regina finished for her.

"A-A-And now he-he's stuck and I don't know wha-what to do a-and please don't hate or s-s-sue me!"

Regina bit her lip. The teacher was clearly punishing herself over what was happening enough as it was, there was no need to add insult to injury. "I won't do anything of the kind," she assured her.

Then she heard a new voice, albeit in the background, "Hey, are you okay, Miss? What's going on?"

There was a cacophony of noise as it seemed the entire class was shouting out answers to the new, feminine arrival. Regina had to hold the phone away from her ear for a moment.

"Someone's stuck in there?...Okay, I can help. I can get them out."

"Oh, I-I don't think that would work. Shouldn't this be a job for…for firemen o-or the police or someone?" Regina heard Ms. Blanchard's protests.

"You know what," Regina kindly stole back the teacher's attention. "I know exactly where you are, I'll be right there."

"Again, I am so, so very sorry, Regina! I feel like this is all my fault."

"Don't blame yourself," Regina told her. "I don't. I'm going to hang up so I can leave, okay?" Once she got the affirmative, she hung up and met the three curious and worried gazes that greeted her. "I have to go. It's Henry. He got himself stuck in a mine in a class field trip." She looked at her reflection in the mirror. "The makeup looks great, guys. Sorry you had to waste it." Then she went off and found the director. She apologized for leaving but recited once more what the family emergency was. She started to head out to her car but then remembered Ruby had taken her stuff to her trailer, including her keys. She changed direction so she could get it back.

"Calling for help will take too long," the blonde that had arrived on the scene tried convincing the teacher. "If someone's stuck down there they could suffocate, pass out, or both. I'm going in."

"What if _you _get stuck?"

"I'll risk it." The blonde shrugged off her red jacket and headed for the mine. "Stay back, kids," she warned. "We don't need anyone else getting hurt. I'm going in."

The kids and the teacher alike watched in awe as the brave woman who came out of nowhere descended into the mine.

Mary Margaret began to pace up and down, barely able to contain her anxiety. She wondered if she should call the firemen or police or both anyway in case something went wrong and the woman ended up getting stuck too. She was a jumble of nerves and that made her nauseous. Her palms began to sweat as she worried about possible repercussions, even though the actress tried convincing her there wouldn't be any.

Regina was able to keep her worry at bay until she got to the scene. When she arrived she parked and all but leapt from her car. "Is he still down there?" her voice had a panicked edge that she just couldn't quell.

Mary Margaret was snapped out of her own spiraling thoughts. "Ms. Mills! I…yes. But this woman went in after him, she's going to try and get him out. But I think… I'm worried she'll get stuck, too. And if she gets stuck, then…" Her already shaky composure crumbled.

Watching the teacher's thoughts go straight to the worst made it hard to prevent hers from traveling down the same path. She prayed to whatever God or force of nature that was out there that Henry would make it out alright. He was her baby who had just turned ten. If she lost him… She took in a deep breath and occupied herself with tending to the teacher. She wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. "I'm sure they'll both come out alright. This woman must know what she's doing if she volunteered to go in after him."

"Why are you being so nice to me? You should hate me right now! If I hadn't brought them here –"

"I told you I don't hate you. It's not your fault. You only wanted to do your job and let the kids have a little fun. You couldn't have known he'd listen to his adventurous side over you. And you let me know right away, and for that I'm thankful. You're punishing yourself too hard over this."

The sound of the atmosphere changed and drew her attention over to the group of children. Finally she saw the cause for that change and abandoned the teacher, running over to where her son and his savior had just emerged. "Henry!" She threw her arms around him. He was a bit dirty, but she didn't care. She was just glad he was alright. "Oh, Henry, you scared everyone! What were you thinking?!" Before he had the chance to answer she turned her attention to the blonde woman. She straightened up and then hugged her as well, without hesitation. "Thank you! You saved my son." When she didn't feel or hear a respond from the woman, she removed herself from her personal space. The woman was red in the face and it didn't just look like the evidence of hard work.

"Uh…" Was the first sound the woman made as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Wait a second. I just saved _Regina Mill's _son?" She looked down at the brunette boy still at her side. "That's Henry Mills?" Her eyes returned to the brunette woman. "And…And Regina Mills just hugged me?"

Regina laughed at the woman's obvious case of being star-struck. "Yes to all of the above."

"This is crazy. I've been a fan for years! I, uh… I need a minute to process."

Regina let the woman have that minute as she was going to need it for what Regina would tell her next. Because of what she'd done, Regina was now determined to befriend this woman. Seemed like an easy enough task now that she knew she was a fan. "What's your name?"

"I'm Emma. Emma Swan."

"Well, Emma Swan, as I can not think of a proper way to thank you for saving my son's life, I would like to become friends."

The expression of shock and disbelief on Emma's face was comical.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're serious?" Emma asked. "Ashton Kutcher isn't about to pop out of nowhere and tell me I've been punked?"

Regina laughed. "Yes, I'm serious and no, no Ashton. Though if you'd really like to meet him I'm sure I could arrange that."

"Mom can do anything!" Henry boasted in that way only a child can. "Yesterday was my birthday and she threw a party and the whole class came!"

"Neat!" Emma was impressed. That was star parenting right there, no pun intended. "Sounds like it was a blast."

Regina's attention went to her son for a moment. "I'm sure Ms. Blanchard has some important stuff to teach you still. Why don't you go back with your class, stay safe, and I'll see you after school."

Henry shrugged. "Alright." His arms wrapped around her legs in a goodbye hug.

Once he re-joined the group, Regina spoke to Emma once more, "How would you like to see the set of Once Upon A Time?"

Emma's jaw dropped. "I still think this is a weird dream, but that would be amazing!"

Regina smiled. "Alright, let's go then. Really, I'm just a person like anyone else. I'm not above you."

"They say that celebrities never turn out the way you think they will, but that is so not true in your case. You're just as nice as I imagined. I just never thought I'd actually get to meet you."

"Well, now you have." Regina led the way to her car. Emma swept her jacket back up from the ground and put it on.

"Why are you in Storybrooke, anyway?" Emma asked once she got over the fact one of her favorite actresses was driving her to the set. "Shouldn't you be in New York or LA, maybe Chicago?"

"Well, Once Upon A Time films mostly on location here, and my character is pretty important. I do leave, but I never stay away for too long. I have Henry to think about and he has a nice life here. I wouldn't want to take it away."

"So you actually live here?"

"Ever since Once started."

"Wow. How did I not know that?"

"It's just details. There's probably a lot that you do know."

Emma nodded. "I guess." She paused. "So what are you going to tell people when you show up with a random stranger?"

"The truth. You're a new friend who saved my son./"

"You're an open book, huh?"

"I don't have reason to hide anything. There's very little that doesn't go public, anyway. Hiding just prolongs the inevitable."

"Okay, let me get this straight. You're famous, talented, rich, attractive, a mom, and you're smart, too? Damn, life gave you the goods. I don't have any of that."

"I'll tell you what you do have. Bravery and a good heart." She pulled into the parking area and cut the engine. "I'd say that's pretty good."

Emma's cheeks went red at the fact that she'd just been complimented by Regina Mills. She tugged her jacket tighter around her as they neared the entrance. It helped calm her jumble of nerves. "So, what do I get to do here? Watch? Hang out in your trailer? Both?"

"Possibly. Probably. I can pull a lot of strings when necessary."

"I believe that." Emma herself would most likely shine her shoes if it was so much as suggested. "I think you wrap people around your finger without anyone realizing it."

"That would definitely explain a lot." Regina held the door open to allow the other woman to go in first. "Do you have a job?" It didn't occur to her until that moment.

"I'm kind of like a freelance agent. If someone needs something done and it's within reason, I'll do it." Emma walked in.

"So, independent. That must be nice. Deciding what jobs to take and when your hours will be." Regina followed.

"It is. But if I ever got a chance to do what you do, I'd jump at it."

"There's a lot more to acting that just acting. Modeling comes with, and there's interviews, various events, charities, and next to zero privacy. Once you're in, you're in. Even if you take a break, not a day goes by when you're not stopped for pictures and autographs."

"Is it worth it?"

"That depends on what mood I'm in when you're asking." Her answer ranged from very worth it to hell no and everything in between.

"Oh, you're back!" It was Ruby, who eyed the blonde next to the actress oddly. "Everyone was just managing to work on the scenes that don't have you."

Regina could practically see her question burning on her face. If she wanted to be an actress, she really needed to learn to school her expressions better. "This is Emma. Emma, this is my Personal Assistant Ruby. Emma here got Henry out of the mine."

"All by herself?" Ruby was now impressed.

"All by herself," Regina confirmed.

"Wow, I think you've met Wonder Woman."

Emma snorted. "Hardly. I'm just good at rock climbing."

"Anyway, there's no way I can thank her for saving his life, so I decided to befriend her. She happens to be a fan, so naturally the first step towards friendship would be me bringing her here. She won't get in anyone's way."

"Alright, well, I'll go find the director and let 'em know you're back. Your makeup still looks great so I'm sure you can just go on to costuming and hair now." Ruby went off to do as she'd said.

Regina nodded. "Alright." She started towards those departments, then paused and looked back at the blonde who seemed to be in awe of her surroundings. "Coming?"

Emma nodded and caught up to her.

When they reached the costume department, Regina grabbed the dress with her name on it that had already been laid out by the costume designer.

"Holy…" Emma breathed out. The dress was beautiful. It was one she recognized, Regina's character had worn it before, but it just looked a thousand times better in person. She trailed a couple fingers along the skirt of it, needing to know what the material felt like.

"I know, it's really pretty." Regina then began to lead the way to her trailer, where she liked to change more often than not. A few other actors liked to change in the room with all the costumes, but it felt crowded and a bit like a closet, so she preferred the privacy of her trailer.

"Woah, this kind of looks like a mini mansion," Emma commented as they stepped inside. There were a lot of pictures of Henry, some with Regina and some without, and she saw one that had Henry and both his parents. She could see why it was one the brunette actress hadn't taken down; it appeared to have been taken on the day Henry was born. She refrained from commenting on it. She only knew what the public story was, and she didn't want to say anything that would offend the woman who had just extended the hand of friendship to her.

Other than the pictures, there was a comfortable looking couch, a few chairs, a desk, a full length mirror, even a little bookshelf and mini fridge.

"Spend a lot of time in here?"

"Sometimes there's days that run super long and only allow for a couple hours of sleep, so I've tried to make this trailer as homey as possible."

"That's insane."

"That's the life of an actress."

Emma moved to sit on the couch as Regina made sure the door was closed. When the brunette started changing, Emma made a point to look anywhere but at her or her reflection. She didn't want to make anything awkward, even though she was surprised the woman felt comfortable enough around her to change with her there. If anything Emma thought she would be asked to step outside while she changed, but that hadn't happened. She kept her eyes away until she heard,

"I think the zipper's stuck, can you help me?"

Emma rose from her seat and stepped up behind Regina, suddenly able to see the majority of the actress's back. There was a large V from the path of unzipped cloth, and the zipper hung close to her lower back. She forced herself not to stare as she gripped the zipper, pulling at it gently. She soon saw the problem. A piece of the cloth had gotten stuck in the zipper teeth. She tugged it out gently and then zipped the dress all the way up. "There you go."

"Thank you. Good thing I have someone here, or else I'd have to go out and find someone else to help. That would've been embarrassing."

Emma chuckled, meeting the gaze of Regina's reflection. "Good timing with finding Wonder Woman," she joked.

Regina laughed. "I hardly think it takes Wonder Woman to fix a stuck zipper. Though you aren't just an ordinary good samaritan, that's for sure. Pulling someone out of a mine is hardly getting a cat out of a tree."

"Yeah, there's less scratching."

Regina shook her head. "You know what I mean." Oh yes, she could see herself getting along with this woman easily.

Emma shrugged. "Like I said, I'm good at rock climbing. And I guess I have a soft spot for kids who get themselves into trouble." She almost added that it was because she grew up in the foster system, but she was tired of the pity she got for it. She didn't need pity from Regina. It was ridiculously cool that she wanted to be her friend, but she too shared the desire to be treated like any ordinary person. Emma found that whenever she told someone about her past, they never looked at her the same way again. It aggravated her because it didn't change a damn thing about who she was, yet it made everyone walk on eggshells around her once they knew and she didn't want that. She certainly didn't want that to happen now, so she resolved to just not bring it up. It was fair, she decided, to not bring up Regina's recent divorce or Emma's family life.

"Well, whatever your reasoning, I'm glad you were there to help. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."

Emma gave her a smile in attempt to get her to push any pessimistic thoughts away. "Well, if you plan to keep me around, you won't ever find out."


	3. Chapter 3

Emma was able to watch as the hair stylist transformed Regina's hair into the Evil Queen's, and then she was allowed to watch as they filmed, all the actors transforming into familiar characters before her very eyes. It was an amazing thing to experience as an outsider looking in.

"I've just realized you probably have no way home since I'm the one that brought you here," Regina stated after the filming had wrapped for the day. "So, I'll change back into my street clothes and I'll take you to your place. I'll have to pick up Henry from school along the way, though. He gets out soon."

Emma blinked a few times. Until that moment, her way home had escaped her thoughts as well. "Uh, yeah, okay. Yes, that'll work, thank you."

"No problem." Regina started making her way back to her trailer and Emma followed.

"So, bringing me here was really cool. You didn't have to do that, though."

"Can't blame me for accepting my offer."

"Okay, yeah, you have a point there," Emma could have declined, but seeing the set had been an offer she couldn't refuse. "But you didn't have to offer in the first place. Most people would probably just write a check and leave it at that, if they did anything at all."

"Well, _I _ am not most people."

"I'm starting to get that. I assume most don't get this cozy with their fans."

"You're a special fan. To be honest, I'd have done the same even if you had no idea who I am." They reached and entered her trailer.

"Will you need help with the zipper again?" It was meant as a joke. However, Regina replied,

"Actually, yes. This dress is easier to zip up than unzip for the one wearing it."

"Okay." Emma thought it a tad odd that Regina chose to have her help again when she could have asked any of the number of people they'd passed. She didn't think too much of it though and simply completed the task before sitting on the couch once more. She occupied herself by looking at the pictures once again and silently guessing how old Henry was in each one.

Moments later, a fully changed Regina asked, "Ready?"

Emma stood. "Yeah." She smirked at how Regina's sunglasses seemed to take up half of her face. She guessed the sun was rather bright outside. She was just used to it.

Regina led the way out but paused to make sure the trailer was locked when Emma was outside, too. As she locked up, she got an idea. "I'll give you proof this whole day hasn't been a dream your mind made up." She pulled her phone out of her purse and took her sunglasses off.

Emma took a moment to connect her words and her actions before she stepped closer to the brunette and posed for the picture she was obviously planning on taking.

Regina held her phone out so they would both be seen and after a moment the phone made a camera shutter noise. She drew it back and looked at the screen. Approving of the picture, she showed it to Emma. "See?"

Emma nodded. It was a good picture.

"What's your number? I'll text it to you."

The more out of the blue normal statements like that occurred, the less surprised Emma was. She was still a bit on a surprise overload, so all the surprise she could possibly feel in one day was already covered. She gave Regina her number and no more than two seconds later she felt her own phone buzz in her pocket. Sure enough, there it was. She assumed she was allowed to save Regina's number, so that's exactly what she did.

"This is officially the strangest day of my life. But in a good way."

"Believe it or not, I've met stranger fans," Regina replied with a chuckle as she began the walk to her car.

As she walked, Emma texted

_I assume it's okay I save your number?_

Regina chuckled again as she read the text. She replied

_Yes._

If she were to be honest, meeting the blonde woman was a breath of fresh air. It had been a long time since she'd made a friend who wasn't involved in the business in some way. Henry didn't count. He also often expressed desired to grow up to be just like her and to do as she did. A small smile graced her features as they reached the car and got inside. She would hold on to the spark of normalcy this friendship gave her as long as she could. They were on the road when she realized she hadn't asked her where she lived yet and got right on that as she headed to Henry's school.

"Hey, Mom," Henry greeted when he got into the car. "Emma."

"Hey, you remembered! Awesome memory, kid," Emma praised.

"I try not to forget things. Memorization is important."

Emma laughed. "Yes," she agreed. "I suppose it is."

"Haven't gotten into any more trouble today, I trust?" Regina addressed Henry.

"Nope! But guess what?"

"What?"

"You're supposed to guess."

Regina laughed. "Alright… Hm, you got an A on a test?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"Actually, that happened too, but…the school play is casting soon!"

"Oh? And are you thinking about auditioning, Sir Henry?"

Henry nodded. "Gotta start building a resume sometime."

Emma laughed again. "Okay, he just turned ten, but I'll bet he knows more about resumes than I do."

"He does act older than his age a lot of the time, when he isn't disobeying his teacher's warnings to be careful."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Henry asked.

"Probably not. Maybe once I'm convinced you've learned from it I will."

Emma felt like a third wheel to the family unit. Nothing new there. It was a feeling she was used to just with different people.

A few minutes later Regina pulled up in front of Emma's house. Emma recognized the car parked nearby. She'd completely forgotten about her plans once she'd come upon the class at the mine. She held herself back from cursing, knowing any mother would rightfully disapprove of their ten year old child being cussed in front of.

"Thank you," she said again as she unbuckled the seat belt. "Today was really fun."

As she stepped out, she heard Regina say, "I'll text you when I'm free. We can hang out."

Emma smiled. "Totally." She closed the door and waved her off, turning to the house as Regina drove away. She took in a deep breath as she approached the door. She knew she was about to be in trouble, at least for a little bit.

She found the door was unlocked, but she figured it would be, she'd told her girlfriend to let herself in. She'd called while Emma was on her way back home before she came upon the mine. They were supposed to spend the day together. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

Her very unamused girlfriend sat on the couch in front of the door, having been waiting for quite a while. "Who was that?"

"Okay, you're so not going to believe what happened today, but I have proof, so hopefully you won't be mad at me for much longer." She plopped down next to her.

A perfect eyebrow arched in expectation.

"Belle, I met Regina Mills today!"

Belle's eyes widened. "You what?" Of all the possible excuses, that was not one she thought she'd hear.

"It's true! I was on my way back; you know that, that's when you called me. But after we got off the phone, I saw this class at the abandoned mine and the teacher was very distraught so I asked her what was wrong. She said one of her students had gotten stuck in the mine, so I decided to go in after him. She tried to stop me but really I didn't trust he would be alright if we waited for professional help to come. So I went down and brought him out. The kid turned out to be Henry Mills, and when we got out his mother was there. After she had her reunion with him she hugged me and…get this, said because she couldn't think of a proper way to thank me that she'd befriend me. I didn't quite believe it but then she offered to take me to the Once Upon A Time set, and come on, who would turn that down? So she did and that's where I've been most of the day." Emma pulled her phone out. "She took a picture with me." She brought up the picture on her phone and showed it to her. "She took it on her phone and texted it to me so I have her number now."

Belle's jaw dropped upon sight of the photo. "That's insane…!" The picture was very real, no way was it photoshopped. She couldn't even be mad at her anymore. If Regina Mills had decided to take _her _to the Once Upon A Time set, she wouldn't have said no either. "You're right, I can't be mad at you anymore." She shook her head. "But now you're mine." She pulled Emma onto her lap. "We have lost time to make up for."

Emma grinned and put her phone on the coffee table so she could put her full focus on her girlfriend. She looped her arms around Belle's neck. "That we do." She leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss, pushing herself flush against her.

Belle's hands stroked along her sides, sneaking under her shirt as she held her, deepening the kiss and gently prying Emma's mouth open with her tongue.

Emma let her in, feeling jolts of arousal dance down from their connected mouths all the way down her body.

Belle's hands snaked into Emma's blonde hair, keeping her close as she greedily explored her mouth, pressing their chests together.

The relationship was still fresh; they had been together only a month, so they were still in the general honeymoon atmosphere. They were like bunnies, and if they had the proper equipment, they would probably multiply like them too. They just couldn't keep their hands off each other. They had only been together a week before they slept with each other, and ever since then they were constantly jumping each other. They only refrained from doing so while in public, and even then it took a strong amount of self control from each of them. As soon as they were at one of their houses, all self control crumbled and they were usually naked within minutes.

Clearly, this day would prove to be no different.

**AN: I know this is a really weird pairing, but it won't last, I promise. This will definitely be a Swan Queen fic.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Graham, I said no." Regina was on the phone with her ex husband.

"Come on, Gina. He's my kid, too."

"I said no! And don't call me that, you've lost all right."

"I know you threw him a party, why can't I see him for my own version? I bought him presents, you know."

"Graham, this is our first year apart, I don't want to confuse him."

"So you're saying I don't get to see my own son unless it's Father's Day or maybe Christmas?"

"Graham, did you ever stop to think that just maybe there's a reason _I _was granted sole custody and you weren't?"

"Regina, having sole custody doesn't mean you get to keep him from me!"

"Oh, it doesn't? Last time I checked it meant that I'm fully responsible for him. That means if anything happens to him while he's with you, it's on me!"

"Do you really think that lowly of me, Regina? Henry's our son! You think I'd let something happen to him?"

"You let something happen to us."

"That's not fair."

"You're right, it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that for the past two years you strung me along while you simultaneously had your head between that bitch's legs! You know what? You two are absolutely fucking perfect for each other! But you know what's not happening? That bitch being _anywhere _near my son. Goodbye, Graham." She hung up and threw the phone on the floor. She swiped at her eyes, clearing away the angry tears. She knew she should be more civil with Henry's father, for his sake, but it just wasn't going to happen yet. The wounds were still too fresh and too deep. It didn't help that he'd stayed with the woman that ruined their marriage, that pretty little redhead who was half his age and damn near jailbait.

Regina was grateful Henry was away at a friend's house. She didn't know if she could explain herself to him if he'd heard her half of the conversation.

The phone rang again and she glared. If it was Graham again she'd throw it out the window. But when she picked it up the caller ID read Emma, for which she was grateful. "Hello?"

"Hey! So I hope this isn't too weird or anything, but I told someone about meeting you and they've been bugging me to let them talk to you. I don't want to bother you so I'll make sure they're quick.

Regina laughed, and it was much needed. "That's alright, go ahead."

Soon a new voice greeted her ears, "Uh, hi! So, uh, I'm Belle and I really really really like Once Upon A Time and you're my favorite character and you're really amazing and stuff."

Regina grinned. Those compliments had excellent timing. "Thank you, Belle. Since you like the show so much, perhaps I can autograph a picture of my character and have Emma get it back to you."

"Oh my God, would you?! That would be super great! Thank you!"

"Not a problem."

Emma took the phone back. "Sorry about that, she's a bit excited."

"I could tell. It's no trouble, really. Those compliments actually came at a great time."

"I'll make sure calls like this don't become a habit. I'm sure you're very busy."

"I'm actually not right now, but you have fun with your friend."

"Alright." Emma didn't bother correcting her. She was sure she wouldn't care, she'd seen her do NO H8 photos, but it didn't seem necessary in that moment. "I will."

When the phone was hung up, Belle all but squealed, "I just talked to Regina Mills!"

Emma chuckled. "Yes, you did." She pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"She said she'd autograph a picture and give it to you so you could give it to me!"

"She did?" That sounded like something she would do. She seemed to be overly generous.

Belle nodded enthusiastically. "She did!"

Emma smiled. "She's nice like that."

Belle smirked. "Just don't let her steal you away from me."

"What?" That was absurd. She was pretty sure that ship was straight sailing.

"I mean the time. It's super cool that she wants to be friends with you, but let's make sure you spend most of your time with me and not her, okay?"

Emma laughed. "I think I can do that." That would be easy. Regina was a busy woman with more important things to do than hang out with her friends. In no universe would Emma be spending more time with her than Belle.

Belle grabbed Emma's hand and tugged her close, bringing their lips together for a kiss.

Meanwhile, as a distraction, Regina looked through various character pictures she had until she found one she thought would be decent for an autograph. Once she had it, she sat at her desk and grabbed a silver sharpie.

_To_

What had been her name? Regina replaced the conversation in her head. Belle, was it? She bit her lip, and hoping she was right, continued.

_Belle,_

Best wishes,

Regina Mills

She signed her name in her typical fancy flourish. That was too easy, she needed more distractions. She wasn't nearly distracted enough.

It occurred to her that she hadn't checked the mail in a while, so she grabbed the key to her PO box and stood, ready to head out the short distance. She grabbed the house key as well, she'd lock up just in case.

When she unlocked the PO box, the letters literally jumped out at her. They were stuffed in there to bursting point. She didn't even have the chance to open the door, the pressure of the letters did it for her. Regina clucked her tongue as she bent down to retrieve the fallen mail. How many times had she told the mail people to just bring it to her door if her PO box got full? She had a mail slot in her front door for that very purpose, but no one seemed to use it. Once she had gathered everything, she locked her box and went back to the house. Up the steps of the porch she went, the she put about half of the mail through the slot before unlocking the door and stepping inside.

She picked up what was now on the floor and locked the door behind her before heading over to the desk with the mail. She sorted it into four piles: bills, payment, personal mail, and fan mail. She saw that Henry had received a birthday card from his father and resisted the urge to tear it to shreds. Instead, she went about reading fan mail. That would certainly give her an ego boost. The first letter she opened was certainly heartwarming.

_I have never been a big fan of watching television a lot. Recently I moved with my  
wife to Atlanta and needed some escape from the boredom of knowing nothing about my surroundings, and figured I might as well turn on the television and see if there was a show I could get into that would distract me long enough from feeling like an idiot. It was your face I saw on the screen first, and your voice was so interesting it drove me to stay on the channel. It was the first time I have been able to watch a full episode of any show without feeling utterly bored throughout most of it. It led to being the first show that I have watched an entire season of, hoping to catch something I didn't the first time I saw the characters. To continue with the firsts, I am patiently awaiting the release of the next season. If I'm honest, I think you're the star of the show, and it's your face that I look forward to seeing each week Once Upon A Time airs. _

_Thank you for turning me on to such a great show._

_Aaron P._

Regina smiled. Everyone needed fans like that. Everyone. Or friends that could make one feel equally as good. She folded the letter back up and returned it to the envelope it came from, putting it off to the side so she'd know she'd read it. Sometimes she really wanted to write back to the fans and thank them for their kind words, but half of the time they didn't include return addresses on the envelopes. Unfortunately some of the nicest letters were the ones without return addresses, so then there was no way for her to thank them.

She decided to open her most recent check, even though she was sure she'd have a mini heart attack when she saw how much she was getting paid. Her Once Upon A Time salary ranged from four to five figures per episode. She certainly had enough to live comfortably for quite possibly the rest of her life, even when taking away all the money she put towards various charities and what she had to pay for taxes. Even though she'd been acting for fourteen years, she never got used to how much money it brought in. It wasn't a lot at first, but the longer she was in the industry, the higher the number of her salary went. _  
_  
This time it was an additional $10,156 that would be going into her bank. Yes, that was high enough to make her jump in her seat and her heart thump loudly in her chest. For one episode, she thought that was crazy. Especially because all the crew had to be paid as well. She certainly wouldn't be complaining, however.

Emma rolled off of Belle and onto her back in the bed, the both of them panting and covered in sweat. Emma caught sight of the clock. "It's getting late." She bit her lip. "Want to stay over?" It was the first time she was offering.

Belle's head snapped to look in her direction. "Seriously?"

"I mean, if you don't want to…"

"No! No, I do! I just didn't think it was something you'd offer so soon. You told me you find commitment a bit hard, so I just thought –"

"Well, I know you don't like driving back home in the dark…" Just as Emma was about to say more, Belle launched at her and kissed her deeply.

"Thank you," Belle was breathless.

"You're welcome." Emma smiled. Maybe she could work the whole domestic thing with her. She'd had her doubts; none of her relationships had ever lasted very long. Her longest had been just three months and that had been back when she was in high school. Most of her relationships ended up being purely physical or just friends with benefits where the friendship ended when the sleeping together stopped. She'd never had anyone mean it when they told her they loved her, and she'd honestly never meant it when she'd said it herself. She supposed it was what happened when one grew up in the system and when those that were supposed to take care of you always abandoned their promises.

Maybe, though, just maybe things with Belle would be different. Maybe they could last.


	5. Chapter 5

"Thank you," Emma stated, taking the autographed picture in her hands. "She'll love it."

"You're welcome."

"So do you really think wearing those stops people from recognizing you?" Emma gestured to the sunglasses Regina seemed to be so fond of.

"It helps."

They were at Starbucks, sitting at one of the outside tables. Each had their own unique taste of coffee. Regina's order was complicated and took five minutes to make while Emma's was simple and only took a minute.

"You know what else helps? You putting that away." Regina nodded at the picture.

"Right." Emma hid the photo in her tanned purse. That had been the whole point of bringing the purse, after all, so she could store the picture until she was able to give it to Belle.

Emma still felt entirely out of her element when it came to hanging out with Regina. The fact that she was a celebrity acting like an every day person made her brain short circuit. She sipped at her coffee, feeling the pleasant burn as it slid down her throat.

"So," Regina took it upon herself to be the conversation starter. "Do you have any kids, Emma?"

Emma almost choked on her coffee. It was such a common question, but it was one Emma would never get used to. Other people could have kids and she wouldn't question it. But to her, the idea of herself being a parent was absurd. "Uh, no. No I don't."

"Huh, I would've thought…" Regina shook her head. "Never mind." She was going to say she thought for someone to save a child they didn't know that they would at least be a parent themselves. But it was clear that the blonde was uncomfortable with the thought of herself as the parenting type, so she let it go. "So, no kids. How about pets?"

Emma laughed. "I can't even take care of a plant properly."

Regina gave her a small smile. "Try a venus flytrap, they're pretty self-sufficient."

"I've had one. Kept it on my windowsill. Then one night it fell off and I rolled over it in my sleep."

"Ouch. Maybe you shouldn't keep plants on your windowsill."

"Maybe," Emma agreed.

Regina drummed her nails against the table as she thought of more things to talk about. "Why do you work independently?"

"I'm used to moving around a lot. When I offer my services temporarily, no one is disappointed or has to fill a position when I leave. Also, this way I'm not chained down to a job I don't want. I get a taste of everything."

"Ah." That made a lot of sense. "So you don't stick around in the same place for too long, then?"

"Haven't had much reason to. Nothing to tie me down."

"As a freshly divorced woman, I'll advise you to hold on to that freedom. Ties can be messily severed."

"Oh, I'm aware." Of course, nasty breakups were nothing close to divorce, but they were the closest she'd experienced. She didn't want Regina to dwell on thoughts of her divorce, however. "So, what made you decide to take up acting?"

"I was born a natural drama queen. Acting was the only place I could get away with it without getting in trouble."

Emma laughed. "So Theater classes in school were a must, right?"

"Right. Even in preschool I took over when we played house. There was an actual little play house with a fake kitchen and fake living room. I'd always be the one who wanted to play the Mommy."

Emma laughed at the image she got of a young Regina wearing an apron and pretending to feed a baby doll. "Cute."

"Even when I was young I was determined to be a star. I tried getting everyone to save everything I touched because I knew it would all be worth millions of dollars someday."

"Hey, you were right. Do you know how much people are willing to pay on ebay for stuff you've signed, just like what you just handed to me for free?"

"A lot, I'm guessing."

"Even that's an understatement."

"Fans can certainly be devoted, and crazy."

"Yeah, they can. I'm surprised you risked me being one of them."

"You're not."

"You didn't know that when you met me."

"I could tell. I know the signs and you showed none of them."

"You have good people sense, then."

"You have to in this business. It could be better, though."

"I'd say knowing who's crazy and who's not is good enough."

"Maybe. I wish I could tell how good of a person someone is, though. How good their heart is."

"I think everyone wants to be able to know that." Emma had a feeling Regina was thinking about her recent divorce again. "It would be the ultimate superpower."

Regina smiled. "Having certain superpowers would be nice."

Emma grinned. "I can tell whenever someone's lying."

"Oh, really?" Regina was impressed.

"Yeah, try me."

"Um…" Regina held a hand behind her back. "Guess how many fingers I'm holding at my back."

"Three."

"Yes."

"Lie." 

Regina's jaw dropped a little. She had been, in fact, holding up only two. "That was good."

"It's even better when people think they've gotten away with it."

"I think you'll come in handy whenever I think Henry's lying to me."

Emma smiled. "I certainly could. I'm a living, breathing lie detector."

"You should work for the cops."

"I've dabbled. It's fun when the bad guys know they're screwed."

"Has your little gift ever gotten someone convicted of murder?"

"Not yet, but that's on my bucket list."

"You actually have a bucket list? Written down?"

"Yup! Meeting you was on it, by the way. I have it in order of realistic to unrealistic and it was towards the bottom. Obviously, I didn't think it was something that would actually happen."

Regina blushed lightly at the fact that she was on someone's bucket list. "Well, ta da! Here I am."

Emma chuckled. "I can see that, my eyes work fine."

Just as Regina was bringing her coffee cup to her lips, her phone rang.

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me hap -_

"Hey, kiddo. Why are you calling? It's only noon."

"Today's a half day. Can you come get me?"

"Yeah, sure. Just wait out front."

"Okay, thanks! Bye."

Regina chuckled as he hung up before she got the chance to say she loved him. "Henry's getting out early. Do you want to tag along while I get him?"

"I wouldn't want to impose…" Yet again, Belle wasn't expecting her for a couple more hours.

"You wouldn't be imposing. You're practically family."

The blonde's eyebrows shot straight into her hair. "How do you figure that?"

"You're a large part of why I still have my son, for one. For two, Henry idolizes you now. He admires your strength. He keeps pushing me to bring you over so he can spend time with you. I believe he also mentioned wanting to beat you at arm wrestling."

Emma blinked a few times, trying to process the fact that apparently both mother and child were wanting to spend time with her. "Well, I suppose I can't deny such a cute kid."

"You'll come, then?"

"I don't have anywhere else to be for a couple more hours; why not?"

"Alright." Regina nodded. "Come, ride along with me. I'll drive you back here so you can get your car in time to go wherever it is you need to be."

"Okay." Emma grabbed her purse and her coffee cup that still had some coffee in it and followed Regina to her car. She took the passenger seat and put the coffee in the cup holder closest to her. She put the purse on the floor between her feet. "Nice ringtone, by the way."

"Thanks. He's my only baby, so I thought it fit. His plays the chorus Spice Girls' Mama when I call." Regina started the car and pulled out onto the road.

Emma giggled. "I'm not sure whether that's sweet or embarrassing." She thought ten was a bit too young for someone to have their own cell phone, but who was she to say so? Rules were probably a bit different when one has a famous mother. And father. Though Emma considered Regina to be the more famous of the two.

"Probably both. But he puts it on vibrate when he's with his friends, so it's not like it does very much damage to his precious pre-pubescent reputation."

"Smart kid. I don't think I'd remember to keep it off. I'll never live down the one time where I was in the middle of a job in Tallahassee and Bloodhound Gang's The Bad Touch blasted from my pocket."

"The Discovery Channel song?"

"Yeah."

Regina laughed. "Yeah, that is bad," she agreed. "Why was that even your ringtone?"

"I…may have liked it…" Honestly it was her fling ringtone, which she found appropriate, since the song was about sex. "You have to admit it's catchy."

"It may be, but it's not a ringtone I'd be caught dead with."

"The dead don't have much use for ringtones."

Regina laughed again. "It's just an expression."

"And sarcasm is one of my personality traits. Get used to it."

Regina chuckled. "Alrighty, then."

A couple minutes later they pulled up in front of Henry's school.

"You brought Emma!" was Henry's enthusiastic greeting as he entered the vehicle.

"Indeed I did."

"Hey, kid. A little birdie told me you've been wanting me around."

Henry nodded and put his seatbelt on as Regina started the drive away from the school. "You're cool."

"You think so, huh? Well, last time I came with your mom to come get you, you hardly talked to me."

"That's 'cause I was excited about the play."

"Alright, that's fair. So you think you can beat me at arm wrestling, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll beat you no problem!"

Emma chuckled. "We'll see, Henry."

"Mom is she coming over?"

"Yes, Henry, for a little while," Regina answered with a smile.

"Awesome!"

"Told you he idolizes you," Regina said to Emma in a voice low enough so only the two of them could hear.

"I'm starting to get that," Emma replied just as quietly.

It didn't take too much time to reach the Mills' residence. It was quite a sight to see. How anyone could ever think it didn't belong to a celebrity Emma didn't know. It screamed elegance and definitely screamed expensive.

"This is your house," Emma stated slowly.

"Yes, it is," Regina confirmed as she walked up the steps of the porch.

"I know it's big, but it's just a house," Henry stated beside Emma. Then he took her hand and tugged her impatiently in the direction of the door.

Emma chuckled. Of course Henry wouldn't be impressed by it, he lived there. He probably lived in even bigger and prettier houses before Regina settled in Storybrooke which was a relatively small town. She let him pull her inside and was grateful when she heard Regina,

"Let her go, Hen. Her legs work without your help."

The boy's grip was a strong one and she had to flex her hand a few times once he let go to get the feeling back.

"The house looks…_really_…great," Emma complimented as she took in her surroundings. It put the interior design of her own house to shame.

"Thanks." Regina started for the kitchen. "Can I get you something?" She was ever the hostess.

"Ice cream!"

"Not you, Henry."

"Oh."

"Water will be fine for now," Emma answered.

"Alright." Regina continued on to fetch it.

Emma continued admiring the house. It had an inviting theme to it that made her feel comfortable. She could certainly get used to her surroundings.


	6. Chapter 6

"Here you go," Regina returned with a glass of ice cold water for Emma.

"Thank you." Emma took it from her, surprised by how cold just the glass was.

"Hey, Mom, what's this?" Henry picked up the card that had been moved from Regina's desk to the coffee table.

"It's from your father. Why don't you wait to open it until –"

But Henry was already tearing the envelope open. In hindsight, Regina shouldn't have told him who it was from first. As Henry opened the card a ten dollar bill fell to the floor.

"Cool! He sent me money!" Henry bent down to pick it up. He read the short message written inside the card, "'Ten dollars for ten years. Don't spend it all on school vending machines. Love, Dad'."

Regina blinked a couple times. The whole thing sounded highly impersonal. She forced a smile, however. "That was nice of him. He's right, you shouldn't spend it all on candy."

"I won't." He happily pocketed the money. He put the card back in the envelope which the then put back on the table.

Emma could feel the tension from Regina as the atmosphere slightly changed. She wished there was something she could do or say to ease it, but she didn't want to push boundaries. Instead, she sipped at her water.

"Emma."

Her attention went to Henry. "Yeah, kid?"

"Let's see who's stronger." He knelt at the table, propping his elbow up. "Mom, if I win, _then _can I have ice cream?"

Regina chuckled at her son's bet. "Sure, Henry."

Emma smirked. There would be prizes, huh? "What if I win? Do I get anything?"

"I'll give you an autographed picture as well," Regina stated. She was planning on doing it anyway.

"Sweet. It's on." Emma knelt on the opposite side of the able, also propping an arm up.

Henry and Emma grabbed hands.

"On the count of three, okay?"

Henry nodded. "One."

"Two."

"Three," Henry said it super fast. He tried to catch Emma off guard as he pushed against her hand right after opening his mouth. However, his quick use of strength was easily met by Emma and he felt his own arm begin to give.

Henry flexed, gathering a lot of strength as he pushed at Emma's hand once more, feeling victorious when he felt it move backwards under his force.

Regina watched, entertained. She thought Henry would go down easily, but she could see the genuine strain as Emma fought to keep her arm upright. Her little boy was stronger than she thought.

"You're going down," Emma ground out as she struggled towards her goal of pinning that small hand to the table. She had been able to life his whole body weight. Why was she having such a hard time beating him at such a little task?

"I'm getting…my…ice cream!" Henry bit back, his voice low and almost growling as he channeled all strength to his hand.

As Regina watched, she was unsure who would gain the upper hand. Just as one earned it, the other stole it. Ice cream or picture, which would it be?

Just as it seemed like Emma was going to win, Henry's hand dangerously close to the table, Henry seemed to gain superhuman strength and in a flash moved his hand up and slammed Emma's hand down, affectively pinning it to the table.

Emma's eyes went wide. A kid who had just turned ten had beaten her at arm wrestling.

Henry looked up to his mother with the sweetest smile on his face. "Ice cream?"

Regina laughed. "Sure, Hen. You've earned it." She started for the kitchen once again. "Emma, come help me."

Emma wasn't sure why she would need help serving up ice cream, so she figured it was some sort of code. She rose to her feet and followed her.

Regina pulled out a carton of ice cream from the freezer. When she heard Emma enter behind her, she stated, "You're getting that picture anyway."

"Oh…I, uh, I really don't need a consolation prize…"

"Oh, nonsense, I was already going to give you one," Regina replied as she got a bowl from a cabinet. "I was just evening out the playing field." She grabbed a spoon and ice cream scooper from a drawer.

"So would you give Henry ice cream anyway if he lost?"

"Nope," Regina answered as she plopped a scoop of ice cream into the bowl. "I didn't think he'd actually win."

"Neither did I. I was going to just let him; I didn't think he'd actually be able to beat me. He must've been practicing." Emma rubbed her now sore wrist.

"That sounds like something he'd do." She stopped at four scoops, figuring that would be plenty of sugar for the rest of the day. "My perfectionist trait must've been passed down to him." She put the lid back on the carton and returned it to the freezer. The used ice cream scooper went to the sink and the spoon went into the bowl of ice cream. She grabbed the bowl and headed back to the living room, Emma followed along behind her.

Regina put the bowl down on the coffee table in front of Henry. "Don't give yourself a brain freeze."

Henry grinned. "I won't." But the speed at which he attacked the ice cream said otherwise.

Regina walked over to where her various character pictures were and found one with the same pose as the one for Emma's friend. She was done writing before Emma got the chance to watch. When Regina handed it to her, it was the backside that she showed. "Put it in your purse and don't look at it until you're home."

Emma rose an eyebrow, unsure as to why she was given that order. "Alright…" She went to where she'd left her purse and tucked it in behind the one for Belle.

"Henry, you going to be alright by yourself down here for a bit?"

Henry nodded happily, still shoveling away at the ice cream. 

Regina started for the stairs. She paused after she'd gone up a few and realized Emma hadn't moved. "Emma, that's your cue." 

Emma shook herself out of her thoughts and headed for the stairs as well, curious.

She was only really expecting there to be hallways, a couple bedrooms, and a bathroom. Instead what greeted her was a very large room with comfortable furniture such as bean bag chairs, a couch that she suspected was a hide-a-bed, and had a giant television on the wall complete with gaming systems and a couple bookcases full of DVD and game discs.

"You have a second living room," Emma stated the obvious.

Regina nodded. "Indeed I do. Whereas most people go to the gym to get their work out, I play Just Dance."

Emma laughed. "That's awesome. I've only got to play once. I don't have a Wii."

"Want to play again? I have them all. I even got the fifth one in advance."

"Seriously? I'm just going to end up embarrassing myself…" 

"Oh, what's it going to hurt?"

"Uh…my pride and dignity?" She sighed. "Fine, but make it the Greatest Hits one. That way I might actually look like I know what I'm doing." Playing Wii games with Regina had certainly not been part of how she thought the day would go, but that woman was just full of surprises.

Regina clapped. "Success!" The ridiculous grin Emma saw before Regina went to get the game set up was worth the potential embarrassment. Regina grabbed a couple of the Wii remotes and secured one around her wrist, making it the main controller. She handed the other to Emma and secured it around her wrist for her. "Alright." Regina brought up the menu. "You pick the song." She started scanning through the menu.

Emma watched. Then when Regina landed on Katy Perry's Firework she stated, "That one. I think I remember doing it last time."

"Alright." She clicked on it and selected two players. The game begun once both remotes were activated and recognized by the game.

Emma started out okay, but of course Regina started out scoring perfects. Emma got a few greats every now and then. "I am so not in shape for this," she commented as she tried to mirror the actions of the virtual figure onscreen. The arm movements weren't very hard, but she never crouched in time for the crouch and make a big half circle with arms gesture. As the song went on, she was beginning to regret picking one that was four minutes long to get started with.

Emma was panting by the time the song was finished. "I forgot how long that one is…" She watched as their scores were counted. Regina of course got five stars, and Emma was surprised to see she'd gained four herself.

"It is a bit long if you're not used to it," Regina agreed. "But I go two hours without stopping every other night."

Emma's eyes widened. "You're crazy."

Regina shrugged. "But I can eat whatever I want, so it's worth it."

"So you've done all of these songs at least once, huh?"

"Yup." She went back to the menu. "I'm picking this time."

"Barbie Girl? Really?" Emma asked when Regina made her choice.

"It's fun!"

Emma's eyes widened when she saw the figures some on the screen. "Oh God I have to be the guy, don't I?"

"Yup!"

Emma shook her head. "Why did I let you talk me into this?"

"Because I charmed you into it," Regina replied jokingly.

The song started then, and they focused on their respective figures, unable to continue the conversation if they wanted to get good scores.

"Oh, Jesus," Emma whined about halfway through. "This one is long, too." And utterly completely embarrassing. Katy Perry was okay, but this…what guy frolics and sashays like that? It was so gay she doubted a gay guy would be caught dead doing it.

Once it ended, Emma commented, "Not even the sassiest of sassy gay men would do that."

"If they played the game set to this song they would."

"But never in real life. I bet this is what they make prisoners do when they behave badly in jail. Dance to this song as the guy on repeat until they shape up."

Regina laughed. "Ouch. That bad, huh? I guess I'll just have to try the guy part sometime then."

"Yes, feel the torture for yourself."

"Okay. You pick again."

Emma went with Ke$ha's Tik Tok. Now that her body wasn't completely sore like it was due to starting with no warm up, she felt a bit more limber and had more confidence in getting a good score. At least she knew this song wasn't overly embarrassing and likely had decent moves to accompany it. She was really starting to think about investing in a Wii of her own for the sole purpose of playing these games. She could certainly see how they made a great work out regimen.

Emma was panting again by the time the song ended. "I need more water. This is exhausting." She also needed to check what time it was. Even though she was having fun she really did need to get back to Belle. She did make that promise of spending more time with her than Regina, after all.

"Alright." Regina headed back to the stairs and Emma followed.

As Regina handed her yet another glass of water, Emma caught sight of what time it was. 1:15.

After drinking about half the glass, Emma stated, "Let's do one more song and then I really should be going."

"Alright."

Regina picked the last song, which was Airplanes. Finally, Emma ended up scoring five stars.

"Woohoo! Going out with a bang!" Emma grinned. "I really need these games."

"Did I get you hooked?"

"You just might have."

Regina put the remotes away and put the game back. "We can always play again next time we get together."

"Great! Looking forward to it."

They went back down the stairs.

"Henry?"

"Yeah?" The child in question moved to where the adults could see him.

"We've got to take Emma back to Starbucks so she can get her car and go home."

"Okay."

"Did you put the bowl in the sink?"

"Yup!"

"Good boy."

The three of them headed out to Regina's car.

**AN: You can go to youtube to watch the virtual figure(s) dance to the songs. Then just picture Regina and Emma doing it, and viola there you go. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Regina sat across from the interviewer, all made up and put on the spot. At least it wasn't going to be live. That was what she'd been told. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been lied to about that, however.**

"I can't help but notice this is the first interview you've accepted since the divorce. Why is that?"

Of course this would be awkward for her. Why had she thought otherwise? "I simply needed time to readjust and now I have." Understatement. "I've also been busy filming Once Upon A Time."

"Filming but not promoting."

"Yes, well, like I said – readjustment time."

"Perhaps you have realized talk is starting to circulate about an unknown blonde that has appeared in your life?"

Great, now Emma had been pushed into the limelight. "Yes," Regina acknowledged. "Well, people can talk all they'd like. She's a good friend whom I've met recently."

"Not a celebrity, though."

"No, not a celebrity. It's nice to know someone unattached to the drama of the business."

"Some are speculating you're on the rebound."

Regina couldn't help it, she snorted. For Heaven's sake. "Well I'll put an end to that rumor right now. I may be supportive, but I'm not gay. So if I **_were _****on the rebound, it wouldn't be with her."**

"No one named any names." They were clearly amused by the response.

"Oh, well, it was a natural assumption what with the timing," Regina attempted to correct her mistake.

"Most of the speculation is about Colin O'Donoghue, actually."

Regina laughed. "Colin? As in Once's Captain Hook?"

"There are pictures floating around from the set where the two of you look pretty cozy."

"We're only friends. He's a great guy and I'll admit a real catch, but he's not my type. So ladies can feel free to go wild and seek his attention, for I do not hold it." If there was a list of her possible rebounds, Colin would actually come after Emma. That was a thought Regina filed away for later.

"How do you feel about Graham's current relationship?"

"I hardly think how I feel matters anymore. We divorced, we're out of each other's lives, save for that parental bond that will always be between us for having Henry. Even if I do hold sole custody, nothing will change the fact that he remains Henry's father."

"So you're alright with it?"

"I don't have an opinion one way or the other," Regina lied.

"How is Henry coping with the split?"

"As well as any ten year old can, I suppose. It hasn't drastically changed his life. He still maintains contact with his father and his social and scholastic lives are just the same as they were before."

"Is there any possibility of seeing his face gracing the screen years down the line?"

"It is very possible. He frequently expresses desires to become an actor, and if that is what he wants, then I will support him in his endeavors wholeheartedly."

"He is already in the limelight by proxy. I'm sure the fame wouldn't be too much for him to handle."

"I agree, he's very strong. It takes a lot to break him."

"Sounds just like his mother."

Regina's smile was slightly tighter than it needed to be. "Thank you."

"Do you think you'll ever marry again?"

"It's really too early to say. Right now I don't think it would be a good idea but maybe in time that will change. I could easily become attached to someone again. I suppose only time will tell."

"No chance of you and Graham getting back together?"

"Below zero chance of that. Some things don't deserve a second chance."

"What if you two end up working together?"

"Then I will do my best to be civil and leave it at that. Maybe, just maybe we could be friends again, but I'd never be able to let him any closer than that again." The interview was starting to feel really long. Regina wasn't sure if it was because it was the first one she had in a while, or because a lot of the questions were embarrassing and awkward, but she couldn't wait for it to be over with.

"Are there any upcoming projects in store for you?"

"No. I try not to do movies when I'm working on television, and I never do more than one television show at once. I do like getting my sleep in, even if it's only a couple hours a night. Right now my focus is on Once, and I have hope that the ratings will be good enough once the third season airs that we will be allowed a fourth season."

"Well, I think that just about covers it. Thank you for your time, Regina."

Regina had never felt so relieved. "You're welcome."

She was free to leave, but there was likely to be a crowd of paparazzi just outside the building. Regina didn't care much, it was only to be expected; it wasn't the first time and it certainly wouldn't be the last. She'd just push through and threaten to run them over with her car if they crowded her. If they got in her way that was their own fault. She wouldn't have them following her.

She unclipped the little microphone from her shirt and one of the techies took it back from her. She stayed as long as was polite and then booked it out of there. Just like she thought, paparazzi awaited her. As she shoved her way through she stated,

"If you want answers so badly you should watch the interview when it airs. They probably asked the same questions." It didn't seem to do much. She had to manhandle a few people so she could get to her car. Some of them had taken it upon themselves to lean against it and that just wasn't right. "Seriously, guys, I have better things to do than stand around posing for your pictures and answering your questions." The last person she shoved out of the way ended up falling onto the ground, camera shattering to pieces. Regina felt a small amount of guilt before yanking her car door open and sliding into the safety it offered.

As some took the time to help their fallen comrade to their feet, Regina used the opportunity to peel out and speed away. Some chased her car for a few paces before tiring out and realizing the actress had the upper hand this time. Regina let out a long sigh. There was no telling how many pictures had been taken of her or where they would end up. She could only hope nothing about them looked or whatever would be written sounded damaging. She had enough drama in her life at the moment; she didn't need jabs at her career.

"That was an interesting interview," Emma stated a couple hours after it had aired.

"You saw that, huh?" Regina didn't know why she hadn't been expecting Emma to comment on it when they got together that day. She knew it was more likely than not that she would watch it.

"Yeah; people are noticing us together, huh?"

"Apparently so."

"I'm surprised it was enough for it to be mentioned in an interview."

"Yeah, well, paparazzi have eyes and ears everywhere. They're sneaky like that."

"That rebound thing was odd. To me it sounded like they were implying what you thought they were implying and then they just pulled something else out of their ass to hold the power card over you. It was almost like they wanted to embarrass you just for the hell of it."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Regina wasn't about to reveal that it had worked. She certainly wouldn't reveal the thought that had occurred to her; she kept that locked in its box at the back of her mind. Now was not the time to examine it. "Wouldn't be the first person it's happened to."

"I'm sorry your first interview in a while had to be so…weird and awkward."

Regina laughed. "Thank you, but really it's my own fault. I could've just said no."

"If it wasn't this one it probably would've been another one," Emma reminded her.

"You're probably right." Regina shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "I used to love interviews, now they're starting to get annoying."

"At least it doesn't show." And it didn't. Emma had watched plenty of Regina's earlier interviews and despite not knowing her then and knowing her now, she came across the same way. Poised, elegant, and ready to take what was thrown at her. "Though my little superpower did go off when you lied. I'm sure no one else caught it, though."

"It was dangerous territory." Regina knew exactly what Emma was hinting at. "Also really personal territory. I chose to take the safer route; I really don't need more drama in my life."

"Understandable. Completely. Sometimes lies are the better option."

"I try not to, but Henry watches these. If there's any possibility that that woman winds up being Henry's step-mother, it would be better for him not to hear my feelings about her on television." It was a horrid thought that she severely hoped didn't become a reality, but Henry was more important and she would maintain his innocence to the best of her ability for as long as possible.

"That's amazing. Really, your maternal side is impressive. I don't think I could hold someone else above my own feelings all the time like you do." And that, perhaps, was the reason why none of Emma's relationships had lasted very long.

"Well, when you first hold your child in your arms, suddenly nothing else is as important. The love for them comes unconditionally and you know that you'll do anything for them, even at your own expense. They become your entire world. The saying really is true, that you don't know how much your mother loves you until you become one yourself."

Emma inwardly winced. She had no one to love her like that. There was no unconditional love for her. No one who promised to adopt her had and she was on her own ever since she was sixteen years old. "I never really had a mother," she admitted.

"Oh." That had been unexpected. "Well, I'm sure if you ever become one yourself, you'll feel the same way."

Emma couldn't be thankful enough that Regina hadn't dwelled in that little fact. She had been caught off guard, yes, but she didn't pity and gush over her. She processed it and moved on. For that, the most ridiculous smile appeared on her face.

"What's that look for?"

"You're not like everyone else. You didn't make a big deal about it. Thank you."

Regina smiled. "You're welcome. You can thank my people sense for that. You did once say it was good. That includes decent people reading skills."

Emma laughed. "Yes, it is good. I wish others had theirs as good as yours." She remembered something then. "I like what you wrote on my picture, by the way."

Regina had written

_To_ _Emma__,_

_Thank you for being such an amazing friend. You're my favorite, truly._

_Regina Mills_

"Good."

"You were pretty mysterious about it, what with telling me to wait until I was home to read it. I still can't figure out why you did that."

Regina shrugged. "I just didn't want you to give it back if it embarrassed you."

"It didn't. Quite the opposite, actually. It made me smile so wide my face hurt. I felt like I was teacher's pet or something."

"Well, that's good."

"Seriously, all my guesses didn't come anywhere near that. I knew it wouldn't be just a generic autograph, but I didn't think you were the type to play favorites."

"Well, you're one of a kind, unique in so many ways. I thought it would be obvious, really, but when I noticed it wasn't I decided to surprise you."

"And it was a most welcome surprise. I'm thinking about framing it."

"Aww, really?"

Emma nodded.

"See, that's why you're my favorite."

They both laughed.

"Even though I'm pretty sure that's something a lot of fans do," Emma replied. "With whatever can be framed, that is," she clarified. "I think it would be strange if someone managed to frame an autographed boxset."

"Yes, that would be an interesting feat," Regina agreed.

Henry popped out seemingly out of nowhere. "Hey Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you play video games?" Henry was practically bouncing on his feet.

"Uh…kinda."

"Cool!" 


End file.
